Ropeways, cable cars and flying buses: minister's plan to beat traffic congestion.

New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has once again spoken about his wish to bring a flying bus to the country, calling it a dream project he would like to see take off. Speaking at an event, he said he wants to run a bus that flies in the air so that 250 people can travel from one place to another over the heads of traffic.

Gadkari said he wants to introduce a mass rapid transport system in which buses can fly. "I am the transport minister and I am thinking that four people will sit on top of a building and fly off, land at my house, and then I will fly to the airport," he said.

Acknowledging the scepticism, he added, "You are laughing because you think this cannot be possible. But I want to run a bus that flies in the air, carrying 250 people over the top. Change happens because of technology, innovation and research, and change is the unwritten law of creation."

According to Gadkari, the aim is to tackle severe traffic congestion by introducing an electric mass rapid transport system. As part of this, he wants to bring in facilities such as ropeways, cable cars and flying buses. However, he has only expressed the wish so far and has not set any timeline for it.

Reports say no country in the world currently has such a facility. Japan, however, widely uses advanced, ultra-fast elevator systems in tall buildings, and is reportedly testing other options for the future.

High-speed vertical transport and modern escalator technology are also used extensively in densely populated countries with high-rise buildings, such as South Korea, the UAE, Singapore and the United States.